Timer for internal-combustion engines



Feb. 5, 1924.- 1,482,686 F. Jul-SON TIMER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jan. 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l bucrci or' J rec7eriC7C cfiLZ-S 011/ Feb. 5, 1924.-

F. JULSON TIMER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1923 7 d 19 it 0 621 67 16 f reci'erick JZZZsm 26 above, wherein the electric Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK JULSON, OF WILLMAR, MIN

NESOTA, ASSIGNOB OI ONE-HALF TO MARTIN O. SWEIVEN, OF DANUBE, MINNESOTA.

TIMER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed January 2, 1923. Serial No. 610,209.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK JULSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of \Villmar, county of Kandiyohi and State of Minnesota, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Timers for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My .invention relates to improvements in lo timers for internal combustion engines.

One object is to provide a simple, durable and efficient timer for engines in which brushing contact between the circuit making and breaking elements is avoided, whereby lubricating at the point of contact is rendered unnecessary and the ill effects thereof eliminated.

Another object is to provide a timer of this kind wherein the circuit completing and interrupting elements make and break contact at an elevation free from the accumulation of oil and rease from the engine to which it is applied.

A. further object is to supply a timer, as

leads connected therewith can be arranged in positions free from oil and grease from the engine.

A still further object is to provide a simple and efficient timer, the parts thereof being capable of ready inspection and adjustment without dismantling the device.

An additional object is to supply a timer of the present nature designed to be readily substituted for timers of the rotary type common to the engines of a popular automobile and tractor.

'With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear in the following description, the invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig.1 is a plan view of a device embodying my 1nvention; F i 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view thereof. taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, portions of an engine (dotted lines) being shown to illustrate the manner in which the device is applied to an engine; Fig. 3

is a longitudinal, sectional view ofth device, the same being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 illustrates the t1mer in elevation; Fig. 5is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and shows in plan the housing which encases the timer cam on the engine camshaft; Fig. 6 is a view showing a longitudinal section of the timer cam and illustrates the means by which said cam is secured to the engine cam shaft and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line TT of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings wherein similar reference characters have been used to indicate similar parts throughout the several views, it will be observed that my improved timer includes a cylindrical case or housing 10, upright frame members 11 secured at their lower ends to said housing and a bracket B mounted on said frame members at the upper ends thereof. An apertured anchoring lug 12 on the bracket B receives one of the bolts 13 employed in securing the usual hose-receiving fitting to the head of an engine. The anchoring of the upper end of the frame work of my timer by fitting of the housing 10 into the usual annular depression 14 in the engine and the holding of said housing int-hat position by means of the usual yielding clip 15, provides for securely applying the device. Like the ordinary timer shell, the housing 10 receives the end of the usual engine cam shaft 16 which is threaded at its outer extremity, as at 17, and supplied with a locking pin 18. My device includes a cam 19 which is secured to said shaft 16 and turns within the housing 10. This cam is cylindrical in form and has four angularly spaced cam members 19 on the periphery thereof. Said cam is formed with axial bores 19 and 19, the former being adapted to snugly fit the end of the cam shaft 16, while the latter 1S considerably larger in diameter for a purpose soon to appear. The wall of the bore 19* is slotted longitudinally as at 19 to receive the usual pin 18 on the cam shaft 16 and to supply a connection between said shaft and cam whereby rotation of that former is imparted to the latter. A sleevelike nut 20 fitted on the threaded extremity of the cam shaft 16 within the large bore 19 in the cam 19 abuts against a shoulder 19 between the bores 19 and 19 and holds the cam 19 longitudinally of the cam shaft 16, an angular socket 20 being formed in the end of said nut to receive a wrench for turning the same. Upright contact making and breaking rods 21 are reciprocably 'means of said bolt 13 coupled with the loosely receive the .rest.

mounted at their lower ends in the housing and at their upper ends'in the bracket B. lBushings 22 fitted in bores 23 in the housing 10 slidably hold the lower end of the rods 21 in position to .be actuated by their respective cam members 19, the upper ends of said rods being slidably held in apertures 24 in the base plate 6 of the bracket B. Each rod 21 is encircled by a spring 25 which is interposed between the plate 6 and a shoulder 21 on the rod. These springs 25 depress the rods 21 as the cam members 19 recede beneath them and yield when the rods 21 are elevated by said cam members. The rods 21 are extensible longitudinally to provide adjustment. for wear. Each rod comprises two sections threaded together end to end as shown in Fig. 2. a lock nut 21 being fitted on onescction for engagement with the other section. A rocker frame C consisting of a bottom plate 26 and upturned side members 27. is tiltably mounted on a pintle 28 reaching through the side members 27 of the rocker frame and supported at its ends in the side plates b of the bracket B. Across the front of the rocker frame C is a rest 29 of insulating material. Apertures 30 in this rest register with apertures 31 in the bottom plate 26 of the rocker frame C and said apertures upper ends of the rods 21. Spring terminals 32 secured at their rear ends to an insulating support 33 transversing the rear margin of the bottom plate 26 reach forwardly over the pintle 28 and normally bear at their forward ends upon the rest 29, the tips of said terminals lying over the rod receiving apertures 30 in said Screws 34L reaching upwardly through the bottom plate 26 of the rocker frame 0 and through the support 31 and the rear ends of the terminals 32 are threaded in binding posts 35 as shown in Fig. 3. These binding posts 35 serve as nuts for said; screws 34 to grip the support 33 in place on the rocker frame and to grip the terminals 32 in place on said support, said binding posts serving further to supply convenient connections between electrical leads 36 and said spring terminals. Located in front of the pintle 28 (Fig. 3) and interposed between the base plate 6 of the bracket B and the bottom plate 26 of the rocker frame'C is a compression spring 37 which encircles a keeper pin 38 anchored in said plate 6. This spring operates to tilt the rocker frame C in a direction elevating the forward end thereof. On the opposite side of the pintle 28 and opposing the action of the spring 37 is a rock-shaft 39 having a cam surface 40 thereon. An arm 41 on the rock-shaft 39 is connected with the usual timer actuating rod' 42, the operation of which causes the rock-shaft 39 to turn-in reverse directions. The combined actions claim as new and desire to of the rock-shaft and spring 37 result in the tilting of the rocker frame C in reverse directions upon reverse rotation of said' rock-shaft 39. The various tilting positions of the rocker frame C, efl'ected through the actuation of the rock-shaft 39, provide for locating the tips of the terminals 32 at various elevations. This results in .contact between the rods 21 and theirrespective terminals 32 earlier or later in the contacting thrusts of said rods as may be desired. A removable cap 12 (Figs. 2 and 3) applied to the bracket structure covers the mechanism carried thereon.

In most instances, my improved timer serves as an attachment which is substituted for a timer of another type. My cam 19 is applied to the usual cam shaft 16in lieu of the usual roller. The open end of the housing 10 is seated in the usual annular depression let in place of the ordinary timer shell. said housing being retained in such position by means of dinarily employed for securing the ordinary timer shell in place. The bracket B is secured to theengine head by means of a bolt 13 as hereinbefore explained. The wires or leads 36 ordinarily applied to the terminals of the replaced timer shell are fastened to the binding posts 35. In thus applying my device, the various circuits are completed in the usual manner by grounding through the engine upon engagement of the rods 21 with the tips of the terminals 32. circuits are completed earlier or later in the contacting thrusts of the rods 21 upon the actuation of the rock-shaft which results in explosions in the engine cylinders earlier or later in the cycles of the pistons therein. \Vhile the usual practice .of completing the various circuits by grounding is ordinarily carried out, it is apparent that suitable electric leads may be connected with the rods 21 and the circuits completed or broken upon making or breaking contact be tween said rods and the terminals 32.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invent-ion.

aving described my invention, what I protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a timer for an internal combustion engine having a horizontal cam shaft and an annular depression in the engine frame concentric with said shaft, a cam for said shaft, an upright frame including an open ended cylindrical housing, for said cam, the open end of said housing being adapted to be seated in said depression, upright circuit making and breaking rods reciprocably guided in said frame. the lower extremities of said rods reaching through said housing and operably engaged with said the clip 15 or- The said III cam, a plurality of terminals, one for each rod, each terminal being adapted to be engaged from beneath by its respective rod, a support'common to all of said terminals and means for moving said support to provide for contact between said rods and terminals earlier or later in the contacting thrusts of said rods.

2. In a timer for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a cam shaft, a cam applicable to said cam shaft and formed with a cam member for each engine cylinder, a frame including a housing for encasing said cam, upright contact making and,

breaking rods reciprocably mounted in said frame, the lower end of each rod reaching into said housing and bearing upon one of the members of said cam, a yielding terminal for each rod, the terminals being tiltable vertically and means for rockably adjusting said terminals simultaneously to provide for contact between the rods and terminals earlier or later in the'contacting thrusts of said rods.

3.- In a timer for an internal combustion engine having a cam shaft, a cam applicable to said shaft, a frame mounted on the engine, a contact making and breaking rod reciprocably mounted in said frame and thrust in one direction by said cam, yielding means for holding said rod against the surface of said cam, a rockable, yielding terminal on said frame and means for tiltably adjusting said terminal to provide for contact between the same and said rod earlier or later in the contacting thrust of the latter.

4. In a timer for an internal combustion engine having a cam shaft, a cam applicable to said shaft, a frame mounted on the engine, a contact making and breaking rod extensible longitudinally and reciprocably mounted in said frame and thrust in one diengine having a cam shaft, a cam applicable to said shaft, a frame mounted on the engine, a contact making and breaking rod reciprocably mounted in said frame and thrust in one direction by said cam, yielding means for holding said rod against the surface of said cam, a rockable terminal on said frame and means for tiltably adjusting said terminal to provide for contact between the same and said rod earlier or later in the contacting thrust of the latter.

6. In a timer for an internal combustion engine, a cam on a rotating part of the engine, a reciprocable circuit making and breakin element actuated by said cam and a mo'va le terminal, said terminal bein capable of adjustment with respect to sai circuit making and breaking element, whereby said element is caused to contact withsaid terminal earlier or later in the contacting thrust thereof.

7 In a timer for an internal combustion engine, a cam on a rotating part of the eng'ine, circuit making and breakin elements actuated by said cam, a termina for each of said elements, a movable frame for said terminals and means for actuating said frame to bring said terminals into contacting relation with said elements earlier or later in the contacting movements of the latter.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK J ULSON. 

